


matchmaker

by mvrcredi



Series: cap-iron bingo fills [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Confessions, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Matchmaker Natasha Romanov, Matchmaking, Stony Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 12:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16702771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mvrcredi/pseuds/mvrcredi
Summary: Natasha is dissatisfied with the results of each date she sends Steve on. It was time to play her final card......get Steve a professional matchmaker with relationship issues of his own.





	matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> fill for my 'matchmaker' bingo square.

No matter what Natasha says, Steve can’t help but keep thinking, _this is so, incredibly stupid._

And, really, it was no one’s fault but his.

He had never once complained about being single, not ever. Sure, he’d had one or more enjoyable flings, but overall, he _preferred_ being single. But Natasha just wouldn’t have that.

Nonstop, almost ever since they had met in university, Nat had been trying to set Steve up (however, quite unsuccessfully). It was all pretty, sometimes prissy, girls who were only into him for his looks and build. Some were actually quite nice, those were usually the ones that would stick around for a little longer. But still, Steve found it wasn’t exactly what he wanted.

He told this to Natasha, regretfully so, and suddenly, she had started sending him on dates with other guys. It had originally been an unexplored, unthought-of option, yet Steve found himself more interested in relationships and sex with a male partner.

This whole ‘setting up Steve’ gig continued through to adulthood, even with each being fully employed with otherwise busy schedules. Somehow, Natasha still found time to put Steve through this new, modern form of torture.

Now finally, after nearly ten years of (mostly) failed attempts at dates, Steve had pulled the last straw. Natasha ran out of ideas and contacts, deciding to pull out her last resort. A professional, honest-to-God matchmaker. Not to mention, in some strange, interconnected way—a friend of Nat’s.

Natasha was currently chatting it up with the receptionist-slash-assistant, because apparently Natasha knew everyone. Steve was sitting in the uncomfortable waiting room chairs, leg bouncing uncontrollably. Both Natasha and the strawberry-blonde-haired assistant take a moment to glare daggers, before returning to their conversation. He stops moving his leg, though reluctantly. He decides to twiddle his thumbs instead.

Then, after so, _so_ long, a handsome brunet with a charming smile emerges from the hallway to the left of the receptionist desk. He’s talking quietly with a petite woman that appeared to be around Steve’s age.

“Steve Rogers?” A voice—the brunet—calls after a moment. Steve’s head perks up, and he rises from his seat rather clumsily. He feels his cheeks heat up as he approaches the man. Natasha sends a sly smirk his way, one obviously telling Steve there was something she knew that he didn’t.

“I’m Tony,” the brunet greets, shooting Steve a brighter version of the smile Steve had previously seen. He offers a hand to shake, to which Steve accepts.

Tony then beckons for Steve to follow him down the hall. The layout seemed much more like a clinic than a matchmaking service.

“How do you know Nat?” Tony asks over his shoulder as they keep walking.

“Hm? Oh _._ We met in University.”

“Ah. So you’ve had to endure her setting you up for how long, exactly?” Tony inquires.

“Almost ten years, with very little success,” Steve laughs sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders.

“Took her ten years to finally give up?” Tony snorts. “I’m impressed. She still hasn’t given up on me. I can only dream.”

“But you’re...”

“A matchmaker, I know. Just because I help start other relationships doesn’t mean it’s easy for me to start my own,” Tony says. They’re stopped now, facing each other. Steve catches the way the brunet eyes him up and down. A blush creeps over Steve.

Tony claps his hands together rather loudly. “Let’s begin, shall we?”

 

-=-

 

Steve can admit, Tony is quite good at his job. If only Steve weren’t so hopeless.

Since Steve had first gone to see Tony a mere two months previous, he had already been on a few dates with a few amazing people. There always seemed to be a common interest, and every guy had been conventionally attractive, there just... wasn’t any spark.

Tony would listen when Steve listed what just wasn’t right. He listened, then consulted with Steve some more. He always knew what to say, and what step to take next. Steve enjoyed being around Tony. Come to think of it...

“Ow!” Steve jumps, snapping out of his thoughts after receiving a smack in the head from Natasha. “What was that for?!”

“For being an idiot,” she says simply. Steve looks at her, confused. Natasha responds with an exaggerated eye roll, followed by an exasperated sigh.

“You wanna know why none of those dates are working out for you?”

“Humour me,” he says, voice dry.

“It’s because none of them are Tony,” she singsongs, dropping gracefully onto the sofa next to Steve.

Steve freezes, going pink. “Wh-what? What do you... what do you mean by...? I don’t—I,“ he sputters uselessly.

“You know what I mean,” Natasha says flatly. “I hear the way you talk about him, you know. And Pepper hears the way Tony talks about you. You’re both idiots.”

Steve huffs, folding his arms over his chest. “Rude.”

“But I’m right. You should talk to him,” she suggests.

“I can’t just... do that,” Steve scoffs.

Natasha shrugs. “Off course you can. You do it anyways.”

“Yeah, but not about... _that,”_ Steve excuses. Alright, so _maybe_ he liked Tony. But that didn’t mean Tony liked him! For all he knew, he could be saying only negative things to Pepper, his assistant-slash-receptionist. And friend, he supposed.

“You’re going to do it, or I’m going to do it for you. You’re meeting with him tomorrow afternoon, by the way,” Natasha informs, before standing from the couch and stalking off. He hears the front door to his apartment open and shut a minute later. He drops his head into his hands, sighing. You could only deny the truth for so long, and Natasha only wanted to give him the nudge he so desperately needed.

Maybe this would be good for him.

 

-=-

 

This couldn’t be good for him.

Steve was back to how he was in the waiting room prior to meeting Tony for the first time.

He had rehearsed what he was going to say so many damn times, it was starting to hurt his brain. He was already braced for the worst of the worst outcomes.

“Steve?”

Steve glances up with comically wide eyes, finally realizing that now was the time, if anything, to get his confessions over with. He takes a deep, rattling breath, before striding his way over to Tony, who’s smiling as per usual.

“Normally you last a bit longer with these dates,” Tony teases. They’re already heading towards Tony’s office.

“That’s uh... yeah,” Steve laughs self-deprecatingly. “That’s the thing. I don’t... I won’t be needing anymore dates.”

Almost instantaneously, Tony’s grin falters, his eyes giving way to hurt. “Oh, did you. You finally find the one, then? Kind of you to want to wish me goodbye, but that’s kind of unnecessary. You didn’t have to do that, Steve.”

Steve is shaking his head vigorously. _Awesome, already messing up. Keep up the good work!_ “No, that’s not why I came. Actually, Natasha booked me in today. I didn’t even know until yesterday.”

A twinge a hope reflects in Tony’s chocolate irises. “Then why _are_ you here?

“I wanted t-to, um,” Steve stammers. “I wanted to- to talk to you. Yeah.”

“Oh?” Tony’s voice cracks. He clears his throat, then, “About what?”

“This. I—feelings. I was denying my feelings so much that I ended up shoving them to the back of my mind in order to go on and enjoy these dates with the people you’ve been setting me up with, and it’s been great, honestly, but it’s not what I want,” Steve rambles.

Tony looks perplexed. “What _do_ you want then? Should we start exploring females as an option? Is that what you mean? What you want?”

“No, I—“ Steve groans. “I want to be with... you.”

Tony looks taken aback, though Steve isn’t sure whether that a positive or negative thing. The brunet opens his mouth to speak, but Steve beats him to it.

“It took me all the way until yesterday to finally admit my feelings for you to myself. Natasha and Pepper even knew it before I did. Or at least they knew the truth before I had actually acknowledged it,” Steve sighs, dropping his gaze to the floor. “I like you, Tony. I understand if it isn’t mutual, but I... I just wanted to get it off my chest before I spend the rest of my life going on pointless dates.”

Tony is silent, which immediately worries Steve. However, before the latter could backtrack some more, Tony tilts his chin up just enough so he could be at the perfect angle to kiss Steve. Their lips slotted together like puzzle pieces, soft and tentative. It’s gentle, pleasant. Not needy, only... loving. Steve had had his fair share of kisses, but he was sure this one topped them all.

When they pull apart, parted lips swollen, they’re both grinning like idiots.

“Wow,” Steve breathes.

Tony nods in agreeance, “Wow is right.”

Steve offers a cheeky smile. “You don’t suppose we could do that again?”

“ _God,_ yes. How’s about I punch out early?”

“Tony, you own the... don’t you have other—“

“Nuh uh,” Tony shushes. “They can wait.”

Tony pulls him back into a kiss, this time deeper and more passionate.

Both Natasha and Pepper are just glad Steve and Tony finally got their heads out of their asses.

 

(Even if it did cost Pepper a work day full of phone calls about rescheduling.)


End file.
